


For Infinite Stakes

by hauntedlittledoll



Series: Tumblr Fic War [2]
Category: Batman (Comics)
Genre: Gen, Random Literary References for the Win
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-08
Updated: 2013-06-08
Packaged: 2017-12-14 08:02:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 479
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/834566
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hauntedlittledoll/pseuds/hauntedlittledoll
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kiragecko's Prompt: "All three of Dick's brothers need him: Jason - asking for help for the first time in years, Tim - who has noticed every time Damian came first and died a little each time, and Damian - who's trust is still so delicate. How can he make this impossible choice?"</p>
            </blockquote>





	For Infinite Stakes

**Author's Note:**

> Title taken from Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett's most excellent work "Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch."

> _"God does not play dice with the universe; He plays an ineffable game of His own devising, which might be compared, from the perspective of any of the other players*, to being involved in an obscure and complex version of poker in a pitch-dark room, with blank cards, for infinite stakes, with a Dealer who won't tell you the rules, and who smiles all the time."_

> _"*i.e., everybody"_

“N-nightwing?  Nightwing, please …”

“Just hold on, Jay-bird,” Dick promised.  He wasn’t Nightwing anymore, but Jason wasn’t in the here and now.  “I’m working on it.  _I’m working on it_ _.”_

“Batman,” Damian’s voice is clipped, short, tight, and his accent is more pronounced than ever.  “The containers are rigged to pressure-sensitive explosive devices.  Our weights have been altered by the clown’s little additions, and I reserve the right to knock all of his offensively bright teeth out.”

“No argument here, Robin,” Dick soothed.  “As soon as we’re done here, he’s all yours.”

Tim doesn’t say a word.  He wouldn’t.

Dick isn’t too proud to beg.  “Timmy, I really need to hear your voice, little brother.  Please?”

Silence, but Tim turned ever so slightly—away from Damian’s prison and toward Jason’s.  He pointed.

“Absolutely not,” Dick refused.  “Just give me a second … to work it out.  I can get it.  _I can get it._ ”

Math is Dick’s specialty.  He can do astounding things with numbers, but he’s never worked with three independent variables before.  There has to be a lead-in, a step that he’s missing, a clue that will allow him to solve the puzzle … there’s always something.

Something … anything … to avoid this choice.

Bruce always put the civilians first.  It’s what Bats do.

But if there was no innocent—if a rogue presented Batman with an impossible choice—Bruce always pulled another option from thin air.

He never gave in.

Dick doesn’t want to fail his mentor in that regard.  He isn’t sure what choice he’d make if he could make one at all.

So Dick couldn’t step off the platform.  He couldn’t take a single step in the direction of any brother, because the other two would see him.  His choice would be obvious … and maybe Dick could live with that if there was the guarantee that he could save all of them …

He banished the thought that maybe he would be unable to save any of them.  He needed to save them.  He needed to save Jason, who hated to depend on anyone.  He needed to save Tim, brushed aside time and time again in favor of the bigger picture or other people’s needs.  He needed to save Damian, a child looking up to him no matter how many times Dick faltered.

The clock is clicking down.

Dick Grayson stood at twelve o’clock; his brothers at three, six, and nine.  Together, they waited in grim silence for the punchline.


End file.
